The Charioteer of Delphi (The Roman Mysteries)

Item was of exceptional quality! Ever so quick delivery. Skillful packaging. A++!

A good book for a kid, no doubt. But for an adult... a bit grating and too obvious at times. A better read would be one of Rosemary Sutcliff's Roman classics. Now there was a woman who spin a yarn or two! Great for young adults and old farts too.

My 10 yr old son loves these books. He now has the entire set and he reads them every night.

For the twelfth book in "The Roman Mysteries" series, Caroline Lawrence turns her attention toward chariot racing as her subject matter, a sport whose popularity surpassed gladiator fighting in the eyes of the Romans. Roman Flavia, Jewish Jonathan, African Nubia and tongue-less Lupus are off to Rome in order to enjoy the chariot races at the famous Circus Maximus stadium, having been asked by Lupus's mother to help a friend of hers find a job amongst the horses. Scopas is a strange youth, distant and prickly, but his gift with horses is obvious and he's soon installed amongst the stables of the Green faction of charioteers.It is there that the youngsters are met with another mystery: one of the Greens' prize-winning horses has gone missing, and a large reward is promised to those who can bring him back safely. Excited by this prospect, the foursome begin the search, helped by a mysteries one-legged beggar who seems to know more than he's letting on. But the search for the stolen stallion is only the beginning of the intrigues in store. Someone is sabotaging the Greens' chances at winning the races, and there's no shortage of suspects for the children to investigate.The focus of books in this series usually alternates between the four main characters, and here it is Nubia who takes center-stage. Haunted by terrible dreams of fire, and discovering a newfound gift in her affiliation with horses, the wise and gentle ex-slave fights her inner demons as she and her friends try to uncover the mystery behind the disappearing horses. Though she is the most grounded of the four children, she's not above acting impulsively or making mistakes, and since Nubia is seldom in the spotlight, it's a welcome change to see her as the central protagonist.Equally interesting is the character of Scopas, based on a real person who was one of Rome's most successful charioteers. Lawrence has made him autistic (undiagnosed obviously), and his odd idiosyncrasies of referring to himself in the third person, disliking people touching him, and enjoying the feeling of being constrained, all serve to not only make him a fascinating character, but to demonstrate the challenges that anyone with behavioral difficulties faced in any time period. It's touching to see Nubia and her friends accept him despite his perceived strangeness, not to mention the way he eventually wins over the bullies in the stable.Despite the emphasis on Nubia (my favorite character), "The Charioteer of Delphi" didn't quite grab me the way that other books in the series have done. As the twelfth book in the series, it feels a little bit like filler, with no real character or overarching plot development, though by itself, it's still a very good read. In the past I've cautioned against reading these books out of order, but this particular installment is so self-contained, you could probably get away with reading it on its own terms.

This book is about Flavia Gemina's, Jonathen ben Mordecai's, Nubia's and Lupus' latest adventure. A brilliant tale of friendship

As ever the tales of Flavia Gemina & friends are gripping and tautly written. As with all the mid-later books in the series this one does assume that you have read prior stories in order but does re-explain a few key points. It brings Rome and its Empire alive in the same way that Lindsey Davies' Falco books do for adults so that readers and especially children unwittingly pick up some fun, educational knowledge on the way. A great series for kids and adults even.......

Written for children (9-13 at a guess) so gave up about 1/4 way thru'. I had hoped this would have centred around the real charioteer of Delphi whose stunning statue stands in the museum there today, & which I have seen, back in the 80's.

Read thr whole series. thoroughly enjoyed the books and it is a great way for children to become interested in history. It brings the characters and the times to life.

Another great book in the series, my 10 year old daughter absolutely loves them, they are her favourite books ever.

Over a dozen pages are not printed. Great book and wonderful author. Let down by the printing.